5 replies to this topic

[luismx123]

Hey guys, just checking on how "serious" some of these repairs are:

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[WillCarter]

I'd imagine that you really need to start sanding back to see how deep the rust is

[sonikk4]

Good news first,

 

the crack on the door, clean it back to bare metal and re weld. Job done.

 

Now the wing and front panel. All of that rust you see although it does not look like much, has come from within the seams.

 

Yes you could clean it back to bare metal, treat it and it will last for another six months or so, but it will come back. Long term solution is to replace the affected panels.

[luismx123]

Good news first,

 

the crack on the door, clean it back to bare metal and re weld. Job done.

 

Now the wing and front panel. All of that rust you see although it does not look like much, has come from within the seams.

 

Yes you could clean it back to bare metal, treat it and it will last for another six months or so, but it will come back. Long term solution is to replace the affected panels.

 

I like good news...always good :)

Is there a anti rust paint/solution that creeps into the metal? i.e sand back, anti rust as far as possible, and repaint?
just regarding the front wing... how long does rust like that take to become "serious" (holes, structural integrity issues etc)

[sonikk4]

Good news first,
 
the crack on the door, clean it back to bare metal and re weld. Job done.
 
Now the wing and front panel. All of that rust you see although it does not look like much, has come from within the seams.
 
Yes you could clean it back to bare metal, treat it and it will last for another six months or so, but it will come back. Long term solution is to replace the affected panels.

 
I like good news...always good :)

Is there a anti rust paint/solution that creeps into the metal? i.e sand back, anti rust as far as possible, and repaint?
just regarding the front wing... how long does rust like that take to become "serious" (holes, structural integrity issues etc)

Several trains of thought here.

Use a twisted wire cup on a grinder to remove as much as the rust as possible, try and get as far as possible into the seam. I then would use either a dremmel or similar to ensure it’s as clean as possible. The trick here is to keep metal removal down to a minimum.

Another option is to get those areas spot blasted.

Make sure the surface is clean and sanded back, feathering the paint edges.

Now personally I use Bilt Hamber Deox gel, follow the instructions to the letter. Once that process has been completed use a Epoxy primer followed by topcoat.

That should help to keep things at bay for a while. The thing is with minis is what you see on the surface is just the top of the iceberg and things will be worse underneath.

Budget for a front end change in the near future.

[Ben_O]

Adding to Sonikk's post, you could also remove the front road wheels to access the rear of the wing/front panel seams.

 

Then you can clean back any sealant, paint, road muck and underseal from the back of the seam to assess the condition of the metal.

 

If it is sound, then you can carefully open the seams with a small screwdriver between the spot welds (assuming it hasn't had a front end that has been mig welded on) and brush on some deox gel directly into the seam.

Once it's done it's job, you can wash that out, dry everything throughly and coat the seams with an epoxy primer before closing them back up with either pliers. mole grips or a hammer and dolly.

Then you can re-seal the seam with a brush on sealer before adding stonechip and paint.

This combined with the cleaning and resealing of the exterior of the seam is about as much as you can do without replacing the panels and should see the best results.

 

The other way which I have done before is to replace just the front panel if it warrants it. This gives you an opportunity to properly clean the wing seams before fitting the new panel but fit it properly and protect it well or you won't have a repair that lasts any longer than the above method.

 

Ben